Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-12-02
THE NATIONAL GRANGE.
Addresses, Reports Of Officers, and a
General Good Time Make up
the Program.

The annual session OF the national
grange. held in Lansing. was attended by
delegates from nearly every state and ter
ritory. and several representatives OF 9th
er governments were present and particl-
pated in the exercises Several OF the
sessions were Secret" and at others an
Interested public listened eagerly to ths
'dongs" OF the representatives OF the
class TO whom the Inner man" must look
for susteRance.
The annual address OF Worthy Master
Darden showed crafty ing success in the
grange during the year. There have been
established ia new grange; the state
grange of Nebraska has been re-establish
cd ami work begun in Rhode Island, which
completes the circle of the states. The
master urges that the order be kept prom
inently before the public, ana expresses
the belief that with lecturers In every
congressional district the membership
could he increased 30 per cent. In three
months. Through class legislation, tho
master says, the farmers are deprived OF
"A just recompense for their toll. lie as
serts that not over production but an IN
suiliciency OF money and an unjust legis-
lation cause the stagnation OF business.
The Interstate law IL move in the right
diectrion, and the prediction Is made by
the worthy master that railroads Will
sooner or later be compelled To- carry
goods at IA specified charge per 100 pound
per mile Master Darden believes that
the fiftieth congress will make the com
missioner OF agriculture a cabinet officer
The report OF the treasurer showed bal
ance in fiscal agency October |, eli, li9.3i;
receipts, sll, 1OJJo; expenses during the
year, sl4, SO5. 10 balance on hand, So,Ob3. 80.
In this report the expenses exceed the re-
ceipts, but the receipts are only SPECIFIC,
ana the grange has $1,000 out at interest
outside of the fees and dues.
The report of the secretary shows that
10 original charters, AZ duplicate charters,
80 deputies certificates and dlspensatlons
OF l43 new oranges were issued during the
year. The total receipts were SS,1Sb.
Inc treasurer reported balance
on hand of ss,O4. Illinois, Georgia Dela-
ware Connecticut aud Alabama reported
large gains during the year. On the whole
the order has made a steady growth dur
ing the year, and Is in better condition
than ever before.
The public reception given the National
Grange by Capital Grange and the clti-
zens of Lansing, was opened with prayer
by Chaplain y. y. Rose of Salado, Tex.
The address of welcome 10y Gov. Luce and
the response by Worthy Master Put Oar
den were listened To attentivey by July
100 people, every available space IN
| representative hall being occupied and
hundreds being unable TO gain ADM ssion.
Addresses followed by Hon. O. NJ. Barnes,
exc oY Fred Robe OF Maine. hon. Edwin
Aillitts, Hon. j. NJ. Lipscomb of south
! Carolina, Hon. T.. T. Allen OF Npsilanti,
and Hon. j. III. Brigham OF Ohio. by ali
odds the prettiest feature OF the session
was the exercise by Is young ladies OF the
city, who personlfied Columbia and the
Slsterhood of states In costume, ana gave
recital. In response the NIFTY school
/ children of the nth and sixth grades pres
/ rnt sang Michigan, My Michigan, and
olumbia proceeded TO impart 10 the
states a very good quail ty OF advice for
.uture action, the most striking being
~ eep good old saxon honor bright. Not
ask what's policy. but right" The final
verse was recited 10y ali the states In
chorus.
! The report OF National Lecturer White.
head of New Jersey, was listened to with
rapt attention. The Lecturer said that
/ aside from his own work he has kept four
/ deputy lecturers In the held most OF the
/ time during the past year, besides sending
out weekly column OF grange news to
more than JOOpubAcations In - states and
J territories. These publications have
/ combined circulation OF l6,OOuOO copies
/ and published zi3, % coo grange items.
/ He has visited % states, delivered 2S
/ lectures and circulated over UuO,OJO tracts
+ and circulars.
The executive committee recommended
/ that permanent home 10 established at
/ Washington by building house where
! the secretary could keep the records. IL
/ was TO be hoped that the grange would
/ take action urging congress TO amend the
patent laws, Us at present they were IN
/ furious to the agricultural classes. The
/ report of the committee on the good OF
the order was favorable TO the moditi-
J cations In the postal laws as recommended
\ by the secretary of the United states
/ Postal Improvement Association.
The following amendments TO the con-
stitution. which were handed down 10y tue
/ National Grange year ago, have been
adopted by the several state oranges, the
vote standing 26to ], six states not voting;
County or Pomona Oranges may DO
; represented in state oranges under such
/ regulations as the state oranges may pro-
vide.
The state oranges shall have authority
/ TO confer the degree OF Flora on all mem
/ bers of the order in good standing in their
respective states, who have taken the de-
gree OF Pomona, in Ike manner ana form
/ as the same degree is now conferred 10y the
/ National Grange, and each person recelv-
+ ing the degree shall lie entitled TO "A GER
tincate of membership in the sixth degree
/ from the National Grange and duly at
tested under its seal
Ii was also oted to submit to the various
states an amendment To the constitution,
allowing each state grange TO regulate tina
membership fee paid to subordinate
! oranges. The national grange has regu
! lated the amount heretofore, and the
southern states believe they can increase
the membership. rapidly they are
! allowed to fix the fee.
/ One of the morning sessions was taken
up with an address by Commissioner
! Colman on subjects interesting to agricul
turists. He explained the oleomargarine
! law. The pleuro- pneumonia disease
among cattle was also spoken of. Mr.
Coleman was in favor of a $4,000 appro
/ priation 10y congress for the establish
/ ment of seed disbursing stations In each
state. Tue proposed transformation OF
/ the department of agriculture INTO a cabi
net position he was not in favor Of At
/ present the office was not in demand by
! politicians, but with the change that
class would gain entrance aud 1t would
! he IA department of agriculture in name
| only. TN mo ton of ex-Gov. Robe a vote
OF thanks was rendered the speaker,
The following officers we're elected for
the ensuing year: Worthy Master, Put
/ Darden of Mississippi; Overseer, Joseph
| Draper of Massachusetts. lecturer, Morti-
mer Whitehead OF New Jersey; steward,
y. y. CHARTERS OF Virginia; assistant
steward, j. h. Hale of Connecticut; chap
| lain, a. j Rose OF Texas; secretary, John
/ 1rimble OF Washington; treasurer, +. NJ.
Mcdowell of New York; gatekeeper, A.
| NJ. Brown of Delaware; ceres Mrs. X. A.
Darden OF Mississippi; pomona, Mrs. Jas.
/ Draper, Massachusetts: fora, irs ". y.
Luce of Michigan; lazy ass:s ant .tewa Il,
Mrs. H. A. Sims of tuIfts: cvcCut, ve